O B I T U A R Y .
Died, in Burke county, on the 15th ult., of congestive fever, John Carpenter, second son of the Rev. J. J. Triggs, aged 5 years, 5 months, and 15 days.
Also, on October 2d. James Alfred, the only remaining son of Rev. J.J. Triggs, of gangrene of the face, aged 7 years and 1 month. James A. was at the burying of his brother, wept as he left the grave, and said he was sorry he had to leave his brother in the grave, took his bed on his return, sick with the fever, which he left not until he died. Two days before his death, his physician pronounced him cured, and dismissed him from his care, but that afternoon the horrible disease which terminated his life, was discovered, and after making a most fearful disfiguring of the face, dismissed his spirit to Him, who said, “Suffer little children to come unto me.”
“Death ! great proprietor of all! ’tis thine
To head out empire, and to quench the stars.
The sun himself by thy permission shines,
And, one day, thou shalt pluck him from his sphere:
Amid such mightily plunder, why exhaust
Thy partial quiver on a mark so mean?
Why thy peculiar rancour wreak’d on me?
Insatiate archer ! could not one suffice?
They shaft flew thrice, and thrice * my peace was
slain !”
_____
* Mr. T. lost a son last year.
The Rev. J.J. Triggs, is my 3rd great grandfather, and the two children mentioned in the obituary above, are my 2nd great grand uncles.
There has not been a single time since I found this obituary, that I could read it, and not cry. I can’t imagine the sadness of the family, losing John Carpenter Triggs and how about poor James Alfred Triggs? Have you ever heard of gangrene of the face? How terribly awful.
Also the obituary mentioned that this is the third son Rev. Triggs lost. The other son mentioned was William Garvin Triggs who died in 1841.
This is a snapshot out of the family bible that I am lucky enough to have a copy of.
It’s extremely hard to read so here is the translation:
William Garvin Triggs died of convulsions Oct. 28th 1841.
John Carpenter Triggs died of billeous fever Sept. 15th 1842 after an illness of about 42 hours. This was the most promising of all my children; but God has taken him. Lord prepare me to follow.
James Alfred Triggs died of gangrene Oct 2nd just after sun set 1842. Oh my bleeding heart.
Rev. J. J. Triggs had fifteen children by four different women. I know two of his wives died before he did, and one out lived him. One I don’t know anything about at all. He had seven boys and seven girls, and one listed as an infant that died within days of one his wives dying.
Of the boys, only one, Francis Allen Triggs would live to adulthood and he was 26 years old at the time of his death.
Of the girls, four of them would all die before they reached the age of four years old. My 2nd great-grandmother, Jane Matilda Triggs Parks lived to be 68 years old, and one of her sisters, Sarah Ann Triggs Allday lived to be 52, and the other sister, Maria Triggs Golding I can track until the age of 55.
All of this sorrow that the Rev. Triggs endured, yet in everything I find and read about him, he never lost his faith in God. He was a Methodist Minister for 31 years.
